Trump suffers awkward handshake faux pas during ASEAN 50

Donald Trump said Monday in the Philippines that he will make a ‘major’ announcement on Wednesday at the White House about trade agreements and other diplomatic progress made during a ‘fruitful’ 12-day tour of Asia.

The president didn’t offer any specifics but said there had been ‘some very big steps with respect to trade, far bigger than anything you know.’ He cited ‘about $300 billion in sales’ to nations including China.

‘It will be a very complete statement as to trade, as to North Korea, as to a lot of other things,’ Trump promised.

Trump also gushed about how his Asian hosts have welcomed him as one of their own, touting his red-carpet receptions as unprecedented.
‘The way they’ve treated us – the respect that Japan and China and South Korea in particular, because we went there – have treated us has been really a great respect for the people of our country, the people of the United States,’ he said. ‘And we very much appreciate it, I will say that.’

‘It was red carpet like nobody, I think, has probably ever received. And that really is a sign of respect – perhaps for me a little bit, but really for our country. And I’m very proud of that.’

The president spoke to reporters along with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after the three men sat down for a trilateral meeting.